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The following is a press release from U.S. Senator James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) it can be found at his site by clicking here
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 1998
INHOFE BLOCKED IN EFFORT
TO BRING UP COSCO AMENDMENT
WASHINGTON--U.S. Senator James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) attempted today to gain Senate consideration of his amendment to prohibit the transfer of property at the former Long Beach Naval Station, Calif., to the China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), but was blocked from proceeding by Democrat objections. Similar objections prevented consideration of the same amendment last month.
"I am disappointed that procedural maneuvering has once again prevented the Senate from debating and voting on my COSCO amendment," Inhofe said. "But I am determined to use every means at my disposal within the rules of the Senate to force consideration of this important national security issue. I will look for other opportunities to bring this up on future legislation."
Inhofe had originally hoped to move to a vote on his amendment today or tomorrow during Senate consideration of the Fiscal Year 1999 Defense Authorization bill. A cloture vote on the bill scheduled for Tuesday is designed to preclude all non-germane amendments (such as tobacco, health care and campaign finance). If cloture passes, as is considered likely, the COSCO amendment would also be excluded as non-germane under the rules.
In the meantime, with the amendment tree filled during Senate action Friday, Inhofe needed unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendments to gain consideration of the COSCO measure. Inhofe asked for such consent twice today on the Senate floor and both times Democrat objections were heard. At the time, Inhofe spoke briefly about some of his concerns about the COSCO matter.
Inhofe's amendment bans the transfer of the Long Beach property to COSCO while not permitting a presidential waiver. Inhofe said it is a clear case where broad national security considerations should override narrow commercial interests.
"Despite appearances, COSCO is not a benign private commercial enterprise," Inhofe said. "It is a wholly owned subsidiary of China's People's Liberation Army. It serves as the merchant marine of the Chinese military and there is every reason to believe it will do their bidding in terms of smuggling, intelligence gathering and weapons shipments. Considering China's long term ambitions for superpower status in the next century, it would be foolish for America to surrender control of a strategically located West Coast port to an arm of the Chinese military."
Inhofe pointed out that COSCO ships have previously been used to transport strategic and military cargoes--including components for ballistic missiles--from China and North Korea to countries such as Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. In just the last month, The Washington Times reported that U.S. intelligence was monitoring a COSCO ship suspected of carrying nuclear-related technology on its way to Pakistan.
In March 1996, a COSCO ship was used in an attempt to smuggle 2,000 fully automatic AK-47 machine guns into the U.S. through a West Coast port. The illegal weapons, which were destined for sale to Los Angeles street gangs, were confiscated in an FBI sting operation.
"As the number one container port in the nation, Long Beach is a strategic asset," Inhofe said. "It is located in close proximity to U.S. military facilities, defense contractors and sensitive high tech industries."
Inhofe also said that COSCO had already received preferential treatment in gaining approval of a taxpayer funded shipbuilding loan guarantee and in gaining access to port facilities on both sides of the Panama Canal. At the same time, Inhofe said the Clinton administration had agreed in 1996 to give COSCO a waiver from long established procedural safeguards applied to communist shipping entities. Ships from such countries as Cambodia, Vietnam and Russia must wait four days before entering port facilities in proximity to sensitive U.S. military facilities. Such notice gives U.S. officials early warning of possible spying. But in the deal with China, COSCO ships had their wait at a dozen sensitive ports reduced from four days to one day.
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